Improvement in distilling and treating- alcoholic spirits



2 Sheets- SheetL y y DISTILLING AND TREATING ALGOH'OLIG SPIRITS?L fNo.96,201.

Patented Oct@ 26, 1869..

Madam; am in,

e n on c n c'L A n igor B urna-.L o, u n w r on 'in Letters Paten No.96,201, dated 00mm 26, 1869.

' IMPROVEMENT 1N nrstrrnnincf AND ,'rREATrNG ALcoEoLrc spins-rs.

The Schedule referred to in these Lettera Patent and making part of thesame.

D is a pipe leading from the vessel, A into the up# per manifold. H of acondenser, E.

This manifold is connected by a series of small pipes, h,-to a similarone, H', at the bottom, which column'- nicates, by a pipe, D1, with asecond receiving or va porizing-vessel, A'.

A steam-coiL-B', isv arianged in this second vessel A'; steam to bothvessels being supplied through a common pipe, f, and branches f' j',provided with suitable stop-cocks betweenQt-he two.

E is a second condenser, and

D, a pipe leading from the vessel A into the first manifold G, at thetop therein.

G1, G2, G, G", G5, and G, are similar manifolds, to which communicationis successively had from G to the others, through the series ofconnecting-pipes g, g1, ygtgt'gf a I` 's a pipe opening ,up fromthe lastmanifold G, -ivhiclieonnfunicates with-a: fan,orotherair-exhaareting.device. i

A pipe, J'., leads from the bottom of the lower manifold G into thevessel A', terminating near the bottom of the vessel, and provided witha stopcock and a bend, forming atrap.

A similar pipe, J ,also bent to form a trap, and provided with astop-cock, connects the bottom of manifold G3 with the pipe J.

Each of these pipes is also provided` with afaucct, j, whereby thecondensed liquor from either or both 4manifolds can be drawn ofi' or letinto the vessel A', as may be required. i

J? is a pipe controlled by a stop-cock leading from the manifold G5 intoa receiver, K. C

The operation of the apparatus hereinbefore described, with my improvedprocess, is as follows:

The vessel A being nearly filled with the liquor to be treated, theexhaustisset in motion, which withv draws the air from the apparatus,and causes the air let in by turning the stop-cock of the pipe G toascend throughv the liquid -`in the vessel A.

The temperature of the liquid being raised by radiation from thesteam-pipe, the vapors evolved therein, consisting of the more volatileelements, such-as ether and lightaeidaare readily absorbed`by the airasit. Adiiiuses itself throughoutthc mass of the liquid, and is removed,and is carried with it through the pipe D into the .condenser The lessvolatile and more easily-condensable vapors are herein condensed,- anddescend to the' bottom of the vessel A', where the liquid may be asecond time subjected to lthe action of heat, `whereby the va- I GEORGECLARK, of the city of Buffalo, in the l county of Erie, and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Processof '.Distilling4 Ardent Spiritsand other Liquors, and in the. subsequenttreatment thereof, for ripening the lsame, of which the following vis aspecification.

It is a well-known fact that the quality of wines and other liquorsgreatly improves, in respect to bouquet and taste, with age.

This improvement is generally conceded to be the I result of the gradualevolution of certain deleterious volatile element-s, which-escapethrough 'the pores of i the `vessels in which tbeyii're contained.

The object of my invention-is the more eiectual removal of theseobjectionable substances during the.

process of distillation, or during asubsequent treatment of the liquorafter it has been prepared, so as to leave the liquor possessing allthose desirable qualisupposed ripening effects of old age.

Liquors have heretofore beensuojectd to the ac- .tion of a eurrentof airpassing through them, which 'process,'broadly, I do not claim as myinvention.

My invention consists,

First, in applying an air-exhaust to the surface of the liquor thussupplied with a current of air, so asto di-aw' the airA through theliquid, which `is preferably heated to a greater or less degree, wherebythe -vapors of the more volatile anddeleterious substances con- -tainedtherein are rapidly absorbed, and removed with the air, asthe latter. isdrawn, by the action of the ex haust, through the mass of the liquid.

Second,in applying the exhaust to the end vof the worm, or equivalentpart of .a distillingor ageing apparatus, so that the air, as it escapesfrom 'the' liquid in the retort, or first receptacle containingtheliquor, fwill he drawn, with the vapors extracted therefrom, throughthe receivers, and into the condenser or condensers', where, in the oneor the other, the dierent vaporsnue deposited, according to theirvolalitity.

In the accompanying drawings--l -Figure I represents a vertical section,and v Figui-ell, a horizontal section of an apparatus, such as may beused in applying my improved process.

Like letters rotreterence designatelikeparts in each"- ofthe figures. 'v

A is a retort or vaporizing-vesscl.

B, a spiral or steam-pipe therein, for beating the liq'uoin 'O a pipereaching to nearly the bottom of the vessel, through 'which the airisintroduced into the vessel. The air may be allowed to escapefrom the endpors evolved therefrom mingle with thenncondensed of the pipe, or thelatter may terminate in a inely-pervapors from the condenser E, andtogether are draw-n forated coil, or equivalent device, at the bottom,so as l by the exhaust through the pipe D2 into the manifold to cause a'greater did'usion of the air as it escapes Gef the second condenser E',and thence successively therefrom into the liquid. through the pipes g,g, g2, 85e., into the other manifoldsffh which the vapors are condensed,and run into the lower ones, G, G, and G5, according to their degree ofvolatility.

It will thus be perceived that the vessels A A and lmanifolds G', G, andG5, will contain liquids varying 1n their specific gravity from thelowest proof in the- Vessel A to the highest proof in the manifold G.

In the treatment of already prepared liquors, for the purpose simpl y`of ageing or maturinbr them, the temperature ot' the liquid in A shouldbe raised only to sueh a degree as is necessary to facilitate theevolution and removal of the more volatile and obnoxious.

elements, which will be found condensed iu the Van'ous vessels, 'as justbefore described, while the purified or ripened liquor remains in thevessel A.

For the treatment of liquors containingjr less volatile impurities, suchas fusel-oil, a higher degree of heat shouldhe employed, sufiicient todistil the mass ofthe liquor, which will he condensed and deposited inlvthe vessel A, 'while the oil and other less volatile ingredients onlywill be left in v 1ssel A.

The vmore volatile elements, such as ether, acids,

&e., will be found separated, aceording to their volatility, in thelower manifolds, from whichVK they can be separately dra-wn ofi; asrequired.

The importanee'of my improved process has been fully demonstrated by thepositive test of experiments, Which has been attended with the mostgratifying results, whether the rationale of the process has been fullyexplained or not.

` What I claim, as my invention, is.-A

1. In the treatment of the various kinds of liquomgthe combinedapplication of t current of air and an exhaust, suhstantiallyin the.manner and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a distilling or ageingdapparatus, consisting of two or morereceivers, the combination of an air-exhaust, applied to the extremityof the worm, or equivaient part, with a current of air admitted into thefirst receiver, at the bottom, substantially as described.

, t GEORGE CLARK.

Witnesses:

A. A. MARSH, JAY HYATT.

